Customized Metorite and Topaz Necklace With Earrings

I found out my best friend was getting married in July (so exciting!). It was a family only event to keep things small but I still wanted to do something for her even if I couldn't be there. Her finance had given her a customized ring that had a band made from a meteorite (So beautiful!). I knew her favorite colors were blue (her daughters - purple and her fiance - green). Eureka! I knew that she did not have any matching jewelry yet so I decided to make her a matching necklace and earrings for her to wear! It also fulfilled that silly rhyme for brides (something old (meteorite), something new (the necklace), something borrowed ("borrowed" until the ceremony), something blue (topaz) and a sixpence for her shoe (bought her a sixpence so she could tape it in)).

Supplies:
Necklace:
1 meteorite bead (gibeon to match her ring) (size: 9mm, 3.14 grams)
Grade A topaz blue faceted rondelle beads
Grade AAA topaz blue teardrop beads
Grade AA Amethyst teardrop beads  (her daughters favorite color)
Grade AA Aquamarine teardrop beads (couldn't find nice enough emeralds for her fiance's favorite color)
Sterling Silver wire
Sterling Silver chain

Earrings:
Sterling silver french ear wires
Sterling silver wire
Sterling silver chain
2 Grade AAA topaz blue teardrop beads
20+ Grade A topaz blue faceted rondelle beads

Tools:
Wire cutters
round nose pliers

Time:
Necklace: 3+ hours
Earrings: 1-2 hours for both

Price:
Try to find deals on ebay, etsy or local bead shops


First Step for the Necklace:
I started off making the links for the necklace with the topaz rondelles.
You will need to know how to make a wire wrapped loop.
First is straight, then kink the wire to the left with round nose pliers, leaving a small space so the beads don't actually touch the kink.
Second, build off the first kink by taking this kink between the round nose pliers and bending the wire around to the right 180 degrees, and then further down.

Now slide this on to a previous link here, or finish it without if no previous links have been made. After this comes the wrapping. Wrap the excess wire above the bead, but below the loop that you just made. Depending on how far up you started the loop determines how many times you will wrap the wire around the base. I usually leave enough space for 2-3 wraps because it looks nicer. Cut the excess off with your wire cutters and smooth the end down with your round nose pliers. Continue with at least 7+ links on each side.

Do not connect each different side of the links as these will make the sides of the necklace and you still need to add the "pendant" and the connectors.

Now it helps to have the person that you are making this for on hand so you can size the necklace correctly, not too tight, not too lose.

The pendant is relatively easy to make. Start off with a piece of chain perhaps 10-20 links and place the top link through a long piece of silver wire, this is to hold all the dangling chains together so you don't lose them or make multiple same length ones.

Attaching the teardrop beads to the end of the chain is similar to the wire wrapped loop except you will have 2 ends to deal with. First slide the bead onto a 2 inch piece of wire (this size can be reduced after you have a better feel of how much you need/want). Take one end and  begin by forming the top loop over your round nose pliers. Make sure you have just enough room that the top point of the bead does not hit the loop - you do not want it bending the bead shape. Now take the wire from loop and wrap it around the bottom of the loop, above the bead. You don't need much so snip off excess. Next take the wire that is coming out of the opposite side of the bead and start wrapping it going up and then down where you were last wrapping it so it covers the top of the bead all the way until under the loop. Make sure to end near the top so that you can press the end into a tight spiral to keep it locked.

Keep adding different lengths of chain and attaching either the topaz, amethyst or aquamarine teardrop beads, try not to put too many colors at the same level. You can always go back and reorganize the chains in a different pattern. For me it was better to make the chain too long so that after I attached the beads I could choose where it could best hang in relation to the other beads.

When you have 9-20 beads on chain and are done adjusting them, bring both ends of the piece of wire they are on together and push the meteorite bead down on both wires. the chain should stop the bead. Now part the pieces of wire and ready them to be connected to the sides of the necklace. Place 4 topaz rondelles on each wire and make the wire wrapped loop and connect them to a side of the topaz links. Do the same with the other side.

Now hold the necklace on the person for adjustment. You may need to make more links. Adjust length as necessary.  Leave 2 links to attach closers at the end of the necklace.

The closures on the back need a spring closure and a tab. Connect each to a link and then close off the link with a wire wrapping to the side of a necklace.

That's it! try out the necklace, make sure it is the appropriate length, you can change it if it is not. Also look for all wires to be locked in so that they are not sticking out and could scratch the skin.

Earrings:
The earrings are very easy. Take a 20 link piece of chain and hang it on the sterling silver french earring wires. Close it off so that the chain stays put.  Wire wrap a teardrop topaz to the bottom of the chain. On every link connect a topaz rondelle with the sterling silver ball headpins. Cut off any excess and repeat with the other earring.  You can also make these shorter if  needed or even add 2 rondelles to 1 link for a fuller look.

Cheers to the happy couple!